title: Income and the use of prescription drugs for near retirement individuals.
abstract: In this paper, we estimate how demand for prescription drugs varies with income for a sample of near retirement individuals. The analysis is based on a novel panel data set with information about the purchase of prescription drugs for a large number of Danish individuals over the period 1995-2003. Our preferred model performs better in an external validation test than models that can be estimated on cross section data. Results indicate that demand does respond to variations in income and that reforms affecting income will therefore affect the use of prescription drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Søren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leth-Petersen
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Skipper
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004651:Employment / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012179:Retirement / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs
keywords: I11; I18; income; near retirement; prescription drugs demand